The Legal Aid Society is mourning the passing of Manish Kunwar, a 27-year-old client, who was incarcerated at the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island for just seven days before he died.

“We are devastated and outraged by the news of the passing of yet another Legal Aid client at Rikers Island,” reads a statement from Legal Aid. “We extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Kunwar’s family, friends, and community at this extremely difficult time.”

“Mr. Kunwar’s case yet again highlights the harm of incarceration in lieu of treatment. If our client had access to the services he needed and stable housing, today’s tragedy could have been avoided,” the statement continues. “DOC’s continuous failure to ensure the well-being of those New Yorkers in its custody and inability to administer basic jail functions is unacceptable.”

Mr. Kunwar is the ninth New Yorker to die in NYC Department of Correction custody in 2023. Legal Aid is calling for a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances that led to his tragic death.